Robotic item sortation and optimization along the vertical axis

A system, comprising:

• a conveyor system configured to move a plurality of items on a conveyor belt;
• a plurality of vertically-configured item handling devices, wherein individual ones of the plurality of vertically-configured item handling devices have a different offset from a holding station, the plurality of vertically-configured item handling devices comprising a first vertically-configured item handling device and a second vertically-configured item handling device, wherein the second vertically-configured item handling device has a height different than the first vertically-configured item handling device and overlaps a substantial portion of the first vertically-configured item handling device;
• and
• a robotic system mounted above or adjacent to the conveyor system, the robotic system being configured to at least:
• collect at least one of the plurality of items at the holding station;
• and
• move the at least one of the plurality of items along a vertical axis for placement in one of the plurality of vertically-configured item handling devices.

A method, comprising:

• tracking, by at least one computing device comprising at least one hardware processor, a plurality of items progressing on a conveyor system;
• causing, by the at least one computing device, a lateral diverting mechanism to divert at least one of the plurality of the items from the conveyor system to a holding station;
• and
• causing, by the at least one computing device, a robotic system in data communicating with the at least one computing device to:
• collect the at least one of the plurality of items from the holding station;
• and
• move the at least one of the plurality of items along a vertical axis for placement in one of a plurality of vertically-configured item handling devices, wherein the plurality of vertically-configured item handling devices comprises a first vertically-configured item handling device and a second vertically-configured item handling device, wherein the second vertically-configured item handling device has a height different than the first vertically-configured item handling device and overlaps a substantial portion of the first vertically-configured item handling device.